Creating a Welcoming Workplace for the Older Worker
Most organizations have diverse generational cohorts, accounting for veterans, baby boomers, generation X, and generation Y. Senior nurses contribute significantly to the workforce through calmness, experience, professional commitment, hard-work ethic, and decision-making skills (Hatcher, 2006). NM has a responsibility to the organization to alleviate the barriers experienced by the senior staff in the healthcare environment. NM can impact the generational diversity through the creation of new career paths that accommodate the aging staff, which will assist with the expected nursing shortage from baby boomers retiring (Collins-McNeil, Sharpe, & Benbow, 2012).
This paper is organized reviewing …show more content…
A few of the major challenges are high patient census and acuity, lack of available lift devices, centralized work stations, and long hallways (Hatcher, 2006). Two specific environmental concerns that exist in ABC Hospital are centralization and poorly designed patient room.
First of all, the RNs must walk down a long hall for their medication, supplies, linen, and nutrition causing excessive steps throughout the twelve-hour shift. Secondly, the patient rooms have diminished space making it extremely difficult to use lift equipment. ABC Hospital was built before any consideration was given to ergonomics, with the placement of all electrical plugs just above the baseboard and behind the patient bed or crib. Moreover, the limited wall space caused engineering to split the vital sign equipment to both sides of the patient crib. The RN has to take a temperature from one side of the bed/crib and the blood pressure from the opposite side, or they will choose to reach across straining their body. ABC Hospital requires plenty of upgrades to make the environment more conducive to the aging population of the healthcare …show more content…
Employees greatly appreciate appropriate staffing and guaranteeing that patient acuities are met. Suitable staffing is accomplished by use of a reliable and valid classification tool that measures nurse workload related to patient complexity and severity, nurse education and experience, and unit systems (Fasoli & Haddock, 2010). Nurses experience an increased physical, psychological, and emotional stress with high ratios and high acuity; therefore, NM’s role is to facilitate appropriate staffing needs.
Another strategy to increase retention is considering increasing the benefits offered to staff. ABC Hospital could introduce a few new programs related to injury. The first is an Injury Prevention Program, which involves hiring employees responsible for creating modified work environment and educating staff of changes to prevent injury (Hatcher, 2006). The second is a Rehabilitation Programs that offers alternate position or reduced hour workweek to support employees until they can return to full work duties (Hatcher,
Most organizations have diverse generational cohorts, accounting for veterans, baby boomers, generation X, and generation Y. Senior nurses contribute significantly to the workforce through calmness, experience, professional commitment, hard-work ethic, and decision-making skills (Hatcher, 2006). NM has a responsibility to the organization to alleviate the barriers experienced by the senior staff in the healthcare environment. NM can impact the generational diversity through the creation of new career paths that accommodate the aging staff, which will assist with the expected nursing shortage from baby boomers retiring (Collins-McNeil, Sharpe, & Benbow, 2012).
This paper is organized reviewing …show more content…
A few of the major challenges are high patient census and acuity, lack of available lift devices, centralized work stations, and long hallways (Hatcher, 2006). Two specific environmental concerns that exist in ABC Hospital are centralization and poorly designed patient room.
First of all, the RNs must walk down a long hall for their medication, supplies, linen, and nutrition causing excessive steps throughout the twelve-hour shift. Secondly, the patient rooms have diminished space making it extremely difficult to use lift equipment. ABC Hospital was built before any consideration was given to ergonomics, with the placement of all electrical plugs just above the baseboard and behind the patient bed or crib. Moreover, the limited wall space caused engineering to split the vital sign equipment to both sides of the patient crib. The RN has to take a temperature from one side of the bed/crib and the blood pressure from the opposite side, or they will choose to reach across straining their body. ABC Hospital requires plenty of upgrades to make the environment more conducive to the aging population of the healthcare …show more content…
Employees greatly appreciate appropriate staffing and guaranteeing that patient acuities are met. Suitable staffing is accomplished by use of a reliable and valid classification tool that measures nurse workload related to patient complexity and severity, nurse education and experience, and unit systems (Fasoli & Haddock, 2010). Nurses experience an increased physical, psychological, and emotional stress with high ratios and high acuity; therefore, NM’s role is to facilitate appropriate staffing needs.
Another strategy to increase retention is considering increasing the benefits offered to staff. ABC Hospital could introduce a few new programs related to injury. The first is an Injury Prevention Program, which involves hiring employees responsible for creating modified work environment and educating staff of changes to prevent injury (Hatcher, 2006). The second is a Rehabilitation Programs that offers alternate position or reduced hour workweek to support employees until they can return to full work duties (Hatcher,